TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR) FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT (IC)

Transcription

1 TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR) FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT (IC) GENERAL INFORMATION Services Required Project/Program Title Post Title Type of Contract Duty Station Expected Places of Travel Duration Expected Start Date International Consultant - Technical Expert for Project Idea Formulation Climate Change Adaptation Idea Note Development International Consultant Individual Consultant Home based with possible travel Mauritius and Rodrigues 30 days Immediately after concluding Contract Agreement I. BACKGROUND / PROJECT DESCRIPTION The UNDP Mauritius Country Office, in discussion with the Government of Mauritius, is exploring the viability of developing one selected project idea in the Climate Change Adaptation sector, in relation to one of the following subjects: 1) Coastal Zone Management, 2) Integrated Watershed Management and Ecosystem based Adaptation 3) Climate Smart Agriculture including the improvement of water use efficiency in agriculture, development of new varieties of cane for high biomass and increased resistance to prolonged drought. It is to be noted that concurrently there are other donor funded projects being developed by the Indian Ocean Commission and the Agence Francaise de Developpement. Hence duplication of project ideas should be avoided. The aim of this consultancy is to assist UNDP Mauritius CO in selecting one appropriate project idea for further development at scale, with the Government of Mauritius agreement. The basis for the development of the Coastal Zone Management project will be an islandwide feasibility study conducted by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency as well as ongoing work by the AF funded project Climate Change Adaptation in the Coastal Zones in the Republic of Mauritius. In terms of Ecosystem Based Adaptation and Climate Smart Agriculture, climate change is causing intermittently longer droughts and the increasing demand in water for socio economic activities exerts great pressure on the water resources of the island. The main catchment areas of Mauritius are located on the central plateau (the Mare aux Vacaos, Mare Long region) and at la Nicoliere (central-north) and are mostly planted with exotic pine trees which are known to use far more water through evapotranspiration than indigenous trees (Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security, 2017). In addition, a diverse suite of invasive alien weeds is threatening the remaining native forests and contributes in increasing the evapotranspiration rates thereby potentially affecting water availability in the reservoirs. Other contentious land management issues in the catchments include the clearance of vegetation for agriculture and unsustainable 1

2 management of forests for deer and pig hunting. These activities can also have direct and indirect impacts on water availability and biodiversity within the catchment (Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security, 2017). As part of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for the Republic of Mauritius, an Ecosystem services valuation study provided by Mare Longue and Mare aux Vacoas catchments was conducted. The analysis required valuation of various alternative land and water catchment management options in the upper rainfall catchments of the reservoirs. Four different land use management scenarios are considered for each reservoir upper catchment. The scenarios are: 1) Do nothing what might may happen if there is no management at all in the catchments; 2) Basic management (business as usual); 3) Proposed improved management - how things are likely to look in the coming years; 4) Ideal balanced management where money is no constraint. This would involve converting much of the pine tree cover to native vegetation, as well as intensive invasive weed control. Results for both Mare Longue and Mare aux Vacoas, aggregated over a 25-year period and discounted at 3%, indicate that Scenario 4 would generate most benefits with benefits diminishing to Scenario 2 which generated the least value. Principal sources of increased value were water saved, conservation and recreation. The results suggest that significant economic, and environmental benefits can be gained through improved catchment management. In addition, a significant number of jobs for local people to help clear the invasive species and plant native species and to manage ecotourism activities in these areas will be created. On top of having clear climate change adaptation and socio-economic benefits, some of the invasives to be cleared like the Chinese guava (Psidium cattleainum) can be used as biomass for electricity generation (co-generation with coal and bagasse). This represents potential climate change mitigation solutions for Mauritius. The government of Mauritius has already endorsed the Protected Area Network Expansion Strategy with the aim of increasing the coverage of formally protected areas from the 4.4% (currently) to 16% or more over the next 10 years. The areas concerned by the expansion include state and private lands. However, there is a significant shortfall of resource and technical expertise for using a systemic and holistic ecosystem based adaptation approach for the conversion of these degraded catchment areas into protected areas and ensure their effective management over the long run. The situation with regard to catchment management in Rodrigues is, if anything, more extreme than Mauritius. As early as the nineteenth century, deforestation was affecting water availability and since 1970 the island s rivers have only flowed after heavy rains. In the meantime the degraded land was losing its ability to absorb heavy rainfall with heavy runoff and soil erosion accompanying the intense rain associated with cyclonic weather systems. Reafforestation efforts since the 1970s have almost exclusively used water-demanding alien species, many of which, notably Acacia nilotica, have become highly invasive. Small scale forest restoration efforts in Rodrigues, initiated in the 1990s, have shown that it is feasible to use native species for the restoration of watersheds on the island. The restoration process in Rodrigues has a great deal of local support and has attracted a great deal of local community participation because of the perceived conservation and socio-economic benefits. A great opportunity exists to implement a watershed rehabilitation in Rodrigues for multiple benefits. It is envisaged that the eventual project will be financed from a variety of sources including domestic resources, bilateral support and vertical funds such as the GEF, AFB or the Green Climate Fund (GCF). With this overall background, UNDP is seeking a specialist to work with in-house staff on the development of an idea note and an action plan that will be necessary to take project ideas to full bankability. 2

3 II. SCOPE OF THE WORK The main objective of the consultancy is to formulate and produce: 1. Consultations report 2. An Idea Note; and 3. An Action Plan for project development. The consultant s main responsibilities are as follows: Coordinate inputs from relevant stakeholders 1. To participate in, and lead, discussions with key stakeholders in order to acquire information that is critical for the design of the project that is of interest. 2. To liaise with and acquire technical inputs from UNDP and Government staff for the design of the project of interest. 3. To liaise with the relevant experts, both within and outside Mauritius, to obtain their technical inputs that will inform and guide design and feasibility of a project of interest. 4. A consultation workshop will be organized to feed into the final idea note selection. 5. Design a draft theory of change and logical framework for the selected project idea Design One Idea Note and Action Plan 6. Discuss with relevant experts and prepare preliminary technical analysis, review and dialogue to detail out project components/outcomes/outputs/activities/sub-activities and inputs 7. Produce an Idea Note and Action Plan based on the consultations, research and analysis, including draft log frame, initial risk matrix, and a list of likely studies required 8. In coordination with other technical specialists involved, under UNDP s guidance, conduct necessary consultations with relevant government agencies, stakeholders and experts to obtain comments/suggestions and incorporate these comments into the draft documents; III. EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES The expected deliverables are as follows: 1. Draft Idea Note within six weeks of signing contract 2. Final Idea Note Action Plan for project development within eight weeks of signing of contract The tentative timeline for deliverables will be as follows: Deliverables Activities / Outputs Estimated Duration to Complete Review Approvals Required 1. Consultations with Stakeholders 10 working days UNDP CO and 2. Draft Project Idea Note/Options report 7 working days UNDP CO 3. One Final Project Idea Note 7 working days UNDP CO 4. Action Plan 6 working days UNDP CO 3

4 IV. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT / REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS The consultant is required to work in coordination with other relevant experts to prepare all the documents that fully meets Donor investment criteria. S/he will work with UNDP Mauritius Country Office Head of Environment. V DURATION OF THE WORK The duration of the consultancy service will be 30 working days, including 15 working days maximum in country VI. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SUCCESSFUL INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR (IC) Academic Qualifications: Postgraduate qualifications in environmental sciences/climate change adaptation with significant knowledge of climate change adaptation, marine infrastructure design and assessments. Important Note: The Consultant is required to have the following professional and technical qualifications. Only the applicants who hold these qualifications will be shortlisted and contacted. a. Years of experience: At least 15 years of technical experience in designing projects on climate proofing and infrastructure investments; Demonstrated experience working on Donor funded, GCF and GEF projects; Experience in the formulation and management of similar projects with global funds including: Project design, management, and monitoring & evaluation; Design of logframe with SMART indicators, work plan and budget formulation; Working with multi-disciplinary teams, including local and expatriate technical experts; Experiences in analytical work, with strong analytical skills; exceptional ability in communication and networking, negotiations and writing; Flexibility and ability to operate in different cultural settings and with a variety of stakeholders; culturally and gender sensitive b. Functional competencies: Demonstrated work experience with various stakeholders in government as well as development partners on gender issues; Proven experience of conducting similar nature of assignment in past preferably for INGOs / UN organizations; Good inter-personal communication skills, flexibility; Knowledge in the area of resilience and disaster risk management; Excellent report writing skills; and Proven capability to meet deadlines and work under pressure. 4

5 c. Language and other skills: Fluency in English both written and oral d. Compliance with UN Core Values: Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN s values and ethical standards; Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP; Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; Treats all people fairly without favoritism; Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment. VII PAYMENT MILESTONES AND AUTHORITY The consultant must send a financial proposal based on Daily Fee. The consultant shall quote an allinclusive Daily Fee for the contract period. The term all-inclusive implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, etc.) that could be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment are already factored into the daily fee submitted in the proposal. Travel costs and daily allowance cost should be identified separately. Payments will be made based on the agreed financial proposal (contract is based on daily fee) and released upon submission of a certificate of payment request, indicating deliverables achieved and days worked to be verified and cleared for payment by the supervisor. The qualified consultant shall receive his/her lump sum service fees upon certification of the completed tasks satisfactorily, as per the following payment schedule: Installment of Deliverables or Documents to be Approval should Percentage Payment/ Period Delivered be obtained of Payment 1 st Installment 1. Consultation Report UNDP 25% 2 nd Instalment 2. Draft Project Idea Note UNDP 25% 3 th Installment 3. Final Submission of Project Idea Note and Action Plan UNDP 50% VIII RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER The following documents are requested: a) Duly completed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP; b) Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details ( and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references; c) Technical offer: Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment (including his/her experience using Financial Planning and Budgeting), and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment; d) Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided by UNDP. 5

6 K. Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology: Cumulative analysis When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: a) Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. Short-listing criteria: Criteria Max. Point Education 15 Communications/Language 5 Experience in the Climate Change Adaptation project design sector at international level 20 Prior Experience in UNDP project design 20 Brief Technical Proposal 20 Experience in development of GEF/GCF/donor funded transport projects 15 Reports writing and Presentation Skills 5 TOTAL max. 100 Candidates scoring 70% or above will be short-listed. The financial offers will be evaluated giving the lowest price proposal 30 marks and marking the other more expensive proposals reverse proportionally to the cheapest offer. The final scoring of short-listed candidates will take into account the technical Evaluation and the financial score: Criteria Weight Max. Point Technical score 70% 70 Financial score 30% 30 The candidate ranking highest shall be selected. This TOR is approved by: Signature: Name and Designation: Satyajeet Ramchurn, Environment Programme Officer Date of Signing: 6